Takes place during Sailor Moon R. Rei has had enough of Mamoru ignoring Usagi, so she goes to his apartment to confront him. THIS IS NOT A REI/MAMORU story! According to Takeuchi-san, they were never supposed to have a thing in the first place. So, if you're reading this expecting that, you have another thing coming.
As she watched Usagi kneel beside the remains of the red rose, Rei felt her heart twist in pain. She looked so broken, so alone… so lost.
Rei knew that feeling all too well. She had felt it many a time thinking of her mother and father… leaving her alone in the world. She knew what it was like.
As the others went to comfort the princess, with Makoto taking Chibi-Usa into her arms, Rei clenched her hands into fists, her temper boiling over. That man was going to get the earful of his life.
It didn't matter what she felt. What mattered was Usagi, and her happiness. If she was happy, Rei was happy.
No matter how much it hurt.
"Mars! Sailor Mars!"
The heir of the red planet turned to look at the person calling her name. She smiled, her day feeling a little brighter.
"Princess Serenity." She greeted the younger girl who ran up to her. "To what do I owe this honor?"
The princess blushed brightly. "I… I wanted to thank you for the flowers you sent. For my name day."
"Of course!" Mars reached over and tucked a strand of blonde hair behind the shapely ear. "Anything for you." She murmured, making sure they were alone before leaning in and kissing Serenity softly.
The princess' eyes slid shut and she moaned softly, winding her arms around the other girl's neck and pulling her close. After a moment, she pulled away, blue eyes wide with desire and admiration. "How did you know roses were my favorite?"
"A girl pays attention," Mars grinned, "and besides, you wouldn't stop going on about the gardeners and their roses this year."
"I did not!"
"Did too," Mars punctuated her teasing with a kiss, "and I loved every second of it."
The princess giggled. "I love you."
Mars felt her heart swell with joy. "I love you too."
Rei pounded on the door, her hand already sore from the first twenty times she knocked. "Dammit Mamoru-san! I know you're in there! Answer the door before I burn it down!"
Silence. Rei cursed and tried to think. She figured if he didn't answer in a few minutes, she could climb up the fire escapes and sneak into his apartment that way, and then she wouldn't have to burn down the door, tempted as she was.
She was just about to enact this plan when she heard the lock click, and the door opened a crack. "What do you want?" A terse male voice asked.
Rei drew herself to her full height (all five feet, seven inches of it) and fixed her best evil glare on Mamoru. "I want to you stop torturing poor Usagi-chan! She's absolutely miserable, and it's all because of you! So stop whatever it is you're doing, and go back to her!"
"I can't."
"And why the fuck not?" Rei exploded, shoving her way into his apartment. She pushed him against the wall, not realizing that he was probably just letting her do it- he could have just as easily pushed her back out into the hallway. "What's the matter? Are you not man enough? What kind of coward are you, hurting her like you are!"
"Stop it!" He ground out, his eyes steel and angry. "You don't know! You don't know what it's like, wanting to be with her but not wanting to hurt her!"
Mars swallowed hard, her fists clenched as she tried not to cry. "And you… you want me to just pretend that what we had never existed?"
The Queen gave a long, exhausted sigh. "I'm sorry Mars. But if Serenity and Endymion do not fall in love, then everything we have worked for- the peace we so desire- it will be for naught."
"Don't you think I know that?" Mars snapped, her anger finally getting the best of her. "Don't you think I understand what duty is? I know what I have to do, Serenity! I know what I have been trained for my whole life!"
She sniffed, trying to fight back the tears. "But I have a duty to my heart, too, and I'd be lying if I said it doesn't hurt to ignore that duty."
"Mars," The Queen said softly, "I know that this isn't easy. But you must think of your duty to the Silver Millennium first. That will always come first. That is the path you've chosen as a senshi and future ruler of your planet." When Mars didn't say anything, the Queen continued. "Now. I will at least be kind enough to let you have one last night. In the morning, Luna and I will wipe her memory." After a beat, she offered, "I can wipe yours too, if you wish."
"No," Mars said, the tears falling now. "Let me at least have my memories. I couldn't bear it otherwise."
The Queen nodded. "Of course."
"I don't care what might hurt her!" Rei ground out. "She's not eating, she's not sleeping; I'm surprised she's even functioning considering the hell you've put her through in the past few months!"
Mamoru pushed her away, his voice rising in anger. "Don't you think I see it? And it kills me! I want nothing more to love her again, to have my sweet Usako in my arms once again! But it can't happen! We can't be together!"
Rei stared at him, at the tears threatening in his eyes, and she wanted to beat the living crap out of him. "Then you don't deserve her. She doesn't deserve a coward like you! Someone who won't even man up to how he feels!"
Mamoru swallowed hard. "Oh, look who's talking, Rei-chan."
Cold fear filled her. "What do you mean?"
Mamoru smiled confidently, a bit of malice in his tone. "I know that Yuichiro-kun is just a farce. I know that you pretend to like him to keep her happy. If I'm a coward because I won't 'man up' to my feelings, how about you? I've seen how you look at her. How you watch her when you think no one is looking." His voice lowered. "You love her."
Mars watched the sleeping girl beside her, trying to commit the image to memory. It was the last time she would ever have the woman she loved in her bed, and damn it all, she wanted to make it last.
A tear escaped, and before Mars could stop it, it fell onto the bare shoulder of her princess. With a tiny moan, Serenity's eyes fluttered open, and Mars felt her heart shatter and melt all at the same time.
"Mars?" Serenity asked softly, "Why are you crying?" She reached up and brushed away a few more tears that had escaped. "What's wrong?"
"N-nothing," Mars mumbled, trying to keep the sadness from her tone. Before Serenity could ask again, she kissed her, her hands going to mold over the curves of Serenity's hips. Her princess moaned into her touch, and Mars attempted to focus on the here, the now, and not the aching hole in her heart.
"I love you," Mars said quietly a moment later, when she was inside her love, "I love you, so much."
Serenity gasped as Mars moved her hand in slow, even strokes. "I-I love you too… Oh, Mars…"
"T-that doesn't matter!" Rei stammered; her heart pounding. "You are the one that makes her happy. I… I have no chance. She solely belongs to you and you alone. We can never be." She screwed her courage into place. "Please, Mamoru-san. Please, take her back. She loves you."
Mamoru turned away from her and looked out the window at the full moon. After a moment, he said quietly, "Please leave, Hino-san."
When Rei didn't step towards the door, he screamed. "GET OUT!"
Mars seethed with jealousy as the Earth Prince and Serenity danced together, her nails digging perfect crescents into her palms so hard that she drew blood.
She attempted to look away and blend into the background, only to hear Serenity call out to her. Taking a deep breath, she turned to face her princess and him. "Princess, you called?"
"Mars, did you see the flowers Endymion brought me?" Serenity gushed, hugging the man's arm. "He brought me roses!"
"Your favorites," Mars managed, her throat tightening with tears. She would not cry, though. She would endure.
"Mars here told me they would be a good choice," Endymion said, giving a grateful nod in the Senshi's direction.
"Oh, Mars!" Serenity leaned up and kissed Mar's cheek. "You're so thoughtful!"
The two of them were then called over by the Queen, and as Mars watched them leave, she felt her heart break again. "Anything for you, princess."
A long sigh and she turned and disappeared into the crowd.
"Anything for you."
"Rei-chan?"
"Ne Usagi-chan?" She turned to look at the girl behind her.
"Mamo-chan called me last night. He told me to stop sending my friends over to meddle in his business." Those blue eyes looked at Rei carefully. "Rei-chan, what did you do?"
"I… I tried to get him to see how much he was hurting you, Usagi-chan." Rei said quietly. "I don't like to see you hurting."
Usagi smiled, a real, genuine smile, and while Rei attempted to remind herself to breathe, the blonde came over and kissed her cheek. "Thank you for trying."
Rei couldn't stop the words even if she wanted to. "Anything for you, Usagi-chan.
Das Ende
Well, do you like it? My first finished story in a couple years, lol! I think I'll hit the 60 story mark eventually. XD